Curse of the Empath
by Stormborn Soul
Summary: Can the Empath heal Murtaugh's emotional scars? Before it's too late and a new dark dragon rider rises to take over Alagaesia? (Murtagh/Adult Elva)
1. Prologue

Thorn spun in the sky, still as lithe as when he was far younger, just much larger now. Murtagh closed his eyes, enjoying the hot desert breeze against his skin. The Hadarac desert was a place most considered a barren wasteland but it was Murtagh's paradise, not only quiet but the red carved stone and sands were stark against the blue sky, the bright green cacti that sprouted across the desert floor gave even more contrast. Zar'roc sat useless on the red dirt, it hadn't tasted blood in nearly sixteen years.

Exiling himself had been the best thing he'd ever done, he had found an abandoned castle on one of the desert's highest peaks, vacant since the time of wild dragons and the first riders. It had nearly taken him ten years but he had cleaned the entire manor, sorting through the old documents and ancient artifacts.

He looked at Zar'roc, the sword his father had caused so much evil and death with, the sword with which he himself had done the same. When he found the other three swords, he thought that he might burry Zar'roc in the desert, never to be found again. But some nostalgia for his monstrous father, kept him from grabbing a shovel and wandering into the barren wasteland. After all, Morzan may have been evil but he was the only parent he'd ever truly known. So he had hid the silver, purple and orange swords deep in the dungeons of his castle.

Sometimes he wondered how the rest of Alagaesia was. Despite resenting Eragon for his more sheltered life, the last almost two decades had taught him to quell the jealousy and he wondered for Eragon and Saphira. And especially Nasuada, at one time he thought the Varden Queen could save him from the evil the Galbatorix had thrust upon him. But not even the strong willed woman was enough to cure the power thirst and magic Murtagh had become addicted to.

Murtagh still trained, with Thorn, Zar'roc and his magics. Not just to cure the boredom of desert life but because he couldn't believe that his life could end this peacefully, that he could ever just stop being what he was and everything would be okay and peaceful. It was restlessness and paranoia, the constant nagging itch in the back of his head that someone was going to come after him. That somehow, someone would find his desert fortress and punish him for the evil he had been forced to commit.

Thorn landed beside him, making the earth quake beneath his massive frame. The only thing more red than the oxidized dirt was his dragon's ruby scales.

'I taste discord on the wind,' Thorn telepathically spoke to Murtagh.

"Well isn't that cryptic," He didn't need to speak allowed for Thorn to hear him but sometimes he like to make sure his voice box still worked. "Care to elaborate?"

'I will when I can,' Thorn looked nervously across the desert toward Western Alagaesia.

The paranoia began to itch in the back of Murtagh's mind again and he stood, red dirt covering his black clothing. He grabbed zar'roc and stormed back toward his castle.


	2. Chapter 1

Elva sat at her desk, grinding the herbs into her mortar with her pestle, she was starting to get frustrated. Her stupid bangs kept flying into her eyes, she didn't know why she'd let Solembum convince her to get her hair cut like all the other girls in Teirm. What did a werecat know about fashion trends or human hair for that matter? But at least the bangs covered the annoying silver mark on her forehead.

When Angela had first taken her in more than 16 years ago, she had questioned the woman's already questionable sanity when she brought her to live in the city around the thousands of citizens that inhabited the area. Did she want Elva to have an unending migraine?

Well Elva guessed, there was a method to the seer's madness, after all living in the city had taught her control for the most part. Unless there was some catastrophic event like a fire or a shipwreck she was usually fine and tuned everyone out. She couldn't believe she had survived the last sixteen years. But it was all coming to an end, her mentor had foreseen her leaving the small port town of Teirm for good.

The door slammed open and Angela pranced into the room, Elva gave her master a suspicious glance. Nobody should be that happy on Mondays, it seemed horribly unnatural.

"Alright Elva, time to go," Angela smiled, grabbing the young empath and pulling her from the table.

Elva's short frame tumbled to the ground and she looked up at her master through her long bangs with disdain, "What the bloody hell is your problem?"

"No one should be such a hard worker, it's bad for your health," Angela smiled. "Grab your pack and follow me."

Elva huffed and did as her master said.

Angela turned to Solembum, "And who will you spend the rest of the year with?"

Solembum smirked and curled around Elva's legs, "I find I'll stick with Elva for the time being. Her story is more interesting than yours at the moment."

"Old friend," Angela scratched him behind the ears. "Do what you must."

The werecat met Elva's eyes, mischief in his orange gaze.

Elva was honored that Solembum wanted to travel with her, especially when he wouldn't even speak to most people but it terrified her also, the werecat could see the future just like Angela, if Solembum said her story was going to get interesting, it probably meant terrifying for her.

"Where am I going?"

"The city hall, it has been cleared out, Eragon and Nasuada are waiting for you." Angela grinned and shoved her apprentice out the door.

"Ugh Eragon." Admittedly, she wasn't thrilled, she wasn't fond of the dragon rider. Even though she did grow to love her empathic powers, it was Eragon who had cursed her in the first place however unintentional it was.

She knew Saphira wasn't in the city, she'd be able to sense the great dragoness right away. She walked with her head down to the city hall, carefully blocking out people's pains and worries. Solembum walked beside her in comfortable silence.

When they reached city hall, Nasuada's guards waved her through immediately, they all knew her, even if it had been almost two decades. Purple eyes and a giant white mark on your forehead weren't exactly the everyday look for humans.

Eragon and Nasuada were sitting at a table eating lunch, surrounded by Nasuada's guards. It was startling to see them together. Being a dragon rider, Eragon had barely aged a day but Nasuada was in her near her forties now. She looked great for her age but the contrast between the two was stark, as a child they had seemed the same age to her.

This was what was normal, aging. Unlike growing up with Angela who never aged a day. The fine line around Nasuada's eyes and mouth were normal but it was still so strange to her. The queen of all the land was getting older. Elva stopped in her tracks.

It took but a minute for them to notice her. Nasuada saw her first, "Elva, you're all grown up."

"Eighteen as of today." Elva smirked.

Eragon looked at her surprised.

"What surprised your curse didn't kill me?" Elva sneered. It was mean but she couldn't help but taunt the arrogant rider.

"I'm glad you're alive." Eragon smiled, ignoring her comment her turned to Solembum. "Nice to see you again Master Solembum."

Solembum nodded, not wanting to speak in the presence of other people.

"Angela said I had to meet you here?" Elva shuffled her feet, she didn't want to be in Eragon's presence more than she had to be.

"Right," Eragon stood and pulled an ornate deep amethyst box from the floor and put it on the table.

Curious, Elva approached and almost collapsed. Eragon's emotional pain almost crippled her, 'the loneliness, Arya, the uncertainty, Saphira, crippling sadness, Roran, such desperate loneliness, desperate need for his other half.'

Elva heaved for air and her hands went to her temples. She hadn't had such a strong reaction to another human in years.

'Control it. Control it. You have a decision now. Do not let you curse control you. Control it.' She repeated to herself. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. The pain slowly drifted away.

Eragon pulled Elva to her feet, "Are you okay?"

She looked into his brown eyes, they hid his pain so well, "I'm fine, what's in the box."

Nasuada put a comforting hand on the empath's shoulder, Elva could feel Nasuada's love for her and Eragon. She wondered if Nasauda knew how depressed Eragon was.

Eragon turned and opened the box, pulling a giant purple dragon egg out, "Right after the war, we used magic to read the minds of all of the dragon eggs in the Vault of Souls to try and find their riders. This was the only dragon who was clear who their rider was, a violet eyed empathic girl."

"Why have you waited to bring it to me?" Elva asked, she was getting a dragon egg, she was to be a dragon rider. She couldn't believe it. She touched the purple egg, it was smooth and it almost glowed.

She didn't hear their answer though, she was dragged into a mental link with the unborn dragon.  
'Empath, I've waited so long for you. They kept us apart for sixteen years, you do not know me but I've known of you. Longed for you, my other half, my born best and truest friend. How I've wished to hatch, be born, stretch my wings and see the sky. The agony of waiting, the claustrophobia of the egg.'

Elva gasped and turned to Eragon, "You've read the dragon's mind?"

"Yes." Eragon nodded looking a little confused.

"Do you know the pain you've caused it?" Elva sneered. "This poor creature has been trapped in here for god knows how long and even after you discover it's rider you keep it waiting for ages. Keeping it hostage from me. Why didn't I know about this sooner?"

Nasuada squeezed Elva's shoulder, "We had to make sure it was safe."'

Eragon nodded.

"Safe?" The pieces were starting to connect in Elva's mind. "You thought I was mentally unstable, that my power, the one YOU cursed me with would kill my dragon?"

"Elv—" Eragon started.

"Don't!" Elva growled putting the dragon egg under her arm. "I read you when I came in Eragon, you've only been separated from Saphira for a month and you're in complete emotional agony. Imagine the pain this poor baby dragon has felt, waiting for me for at least 16 years?"

Elva put her shoulder pack back on, "Let's go Solembum."

"Where are you going Elva, you need to be trained!" Nasuada tried to stop her younger friend.

"Oh I will be, in Ellesmera by Arya," Elva narrowed her eyes at Eragon. "Being trained by someone with compassion. I'll say hi to Saphira for you."

Elva burst through the large ornate doors of the city hall, with the Dragon egg tucked so close to her, she could feel the dragons emotions swirling inside of her, curling, twisting, pulsing with excitement.  
Maybe she was being over dramatic, most people would probably think that but then again most people weren't able to read people's emotions, feel them within them.

She ran back to Angela's shop, her legs already sore from the exertion, she spent far too much time studying Angela's herbs. Solembum had no problem keeping up with her on his cat legs  
Angela looked up, unsurprised, "Well let me see it."

There was no point in asking the seer how she knew, Elva presented the purple egg to her master, "Do you think I did the wrong thing?"

"No, it was callous of the two to make them decision for you and stupid to think they'd slip it past you." Angela's eyes lit up as she ran her hand over the iridescent egg. "Wow Im good."

Elva's brows furrowed, "What?"

"I'll come back to it, back on topic though, you did the right thing. I never saw Eragon being your teacher, in any future. You will have another."

"I can go to Ellesmera to train with Arya and Firnen." Elva nodded, rubbing the egg to comfort the creature inside. How were you supposed to hatch the damn thing?

Angela's smile was full of mischief, "Well that's an idea."

Elva quirked an eyebrow at the seer, she was too cryptic for her own good.

"Let's hatch it," Solembum's orange eyes were on the egg, against the bright purple of the egg, his eyes had a pumpkin glow. "I've never seen a dragon hatch."

"Really?" Angela looked at her old friend. "With how OLD you are, I'm shocked."

"I know right?" Solembum grinned, revealing his feline fangs. "So let's get on with it."

"But how?" Elva asked her master.

"Eragon cracked his egg open but we don't need to resort to such means, put your hands on the egg and connect with your dragon."

Elva did as she was told and reached emotionally to the dragon.

'Empath?! '

'It's time to hatch dragon, it's time for us to train together.' She willed for her dragon to understand her.

It worked, the baby dragon broke through. She as even more beautiful than her egg. She was a purple with a slight blue tint, indigo and violet mixed together, she matched Elva's eyes. Her dragon's eyes were the color of pears, matching the coloring of her horns and claws.

The baby dragon stumbled into Elva's arms with a squeak and Elva instantly knew what love was. She finally knew what the bond between rider and dragon meant, this creature was destined to be the closest thing to her.


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: I've got a lot of followers on this story but only the lovely ladymoonscar reviewed, if it's not too much trouble could you please review and let me know what you think so far? :] It really makes my day, talking to the people reading my stories. I'm not like other authors who won't reply to your review.

* * *

"So what should we name it?" Solembum eyed the baby dragon with interest.

"We?" Elva hugged the dragon. "She's my dragon."

Angela smiked, "Ok then Elva, what are _you_ naming it?"

"Uh, purplette?" Elva grinned sheepishly.

"That is the most horrid name I've ever heard, you might as well call her eggplant," The herbalist wrinkled her nose.

"Isn't the color of eggplants called aubergine?" Elva asked her master, she smoothed a hand over her dragon's iridescent scales. "That's kind of pretty."

"But she isn't aubergine, it's too dark and has a reddish tone to it, she's lighter and a has a slight blue tinge to her."

The baby dragon darted her head back and forth between the three, especially fixated on Solembum.

"Like violet or indigo?" Angela quirked her head, curls bounced every which way.

"Amethyst is a light purple stone. How about I name her like Saphira, after a gemstone?"

"I like it, Amethysts symbolize healing and protection against poison. They are said to give the owner sweet dreams and stronger magic." Angela nodded.

Elva looked down into Amethyt's pearly eyes, "What do you think?"

* * *

Elva and Amethyst stayed in Teirm for three months, Angela didn't think it was wise to wander off into the wilderness with a newborn dragon. It was like asking to be robbed and killed.

Angela and Elva concocted healthy vitamins and poultices to give the dragon shiny scales and make her grow strong at a healthy quickness.

Everyday she'd take Amethyst out for a long walk, the people of Teirm weren't even shocked, they knew how strange the Herbalist and her apprentice were. And every night they'd curl up in Elva's bed, she didn't even care her growing horns and spikes would stab her a thousand times a night.

Solembum had taken a great liking to the dragon, the two were almost always communicating telepathically. Most conversations Elva could listen in on but some they would block her out of. She didn't particularly care, with her constant influx of people's emotions she encouraged people to hide their emotions and thoughts as much as possible.

Once Amethyst couldn't even fit through Elva's bedroom door anymore, Angela said it was the perfect time to start their journey East. Giving Elva her fastest horse, a grumpy stallio named Greg, she sent Elva off with almost too much supplies for a human, dragon and horse to carry.

-

It was nice to be out of a city again, no one's emotions coursed through her body like a sickness. She could sense that Greg felt the same way, happy to be away from people, re really ahted humans and at first tried to toss Elva as much as possible. But after a few days of dark bruises on her bum, arms and legs she managed to use her gift to soothe Greg enough to wear he'd give up on throwing her. Still didn't like her though.

Amethyst finally got to practice flying, carrying a windblown Solembum around/ She was still not strong enough to carry a human but getting stronger every passing day.

They were two weeks into their journey, just into the Hadarac desert when the Urgals attacked.  
Nasty creatures with gray skin, yellow eyes and massive horns, they bore a red armband indicating they weren't loyal to Nasuada's empire. She felt them before they got close, the crippling hunger, dying for food, aching for shelter in the cruel desert wasteland. She almost couldn't hate them, if she was in their position she'd try to rob her small group too.

_Try_ being the operative word, she told Solembum and he shifted into his human form, the boy, and grabbed his daggers from her pack. Amethyst reared up on her hind legs, hoping to look formidable to the Urgal lot.

Elva grabbed her own daggers and gulped. Solembum had taught her to use the daggers but she wasn't exactly dangerous. When you could feel someone's pain just as intensely as they were, it made it difficult to cause harm. Which sucked because if she could get past that , she could have a serious advantage, preying upon people's weak points.

The urgals broke through the dry desert brush and stopped, surprised they hadn't caught Elva's group unaware. And yet, they still attacked. Solembum had slit four's throats before they reaized what was happening, Amethyst ffolloweed his lead and started knocking the creature's around with her girth. Even Greg the horse started stomping Urgals much to Elva's dark amusement.

But she should have been paying attention to her own surrounding because an Urgal knocked her onto the ground. She punched it in the throat and choker herself. It, he, recovered from the pain before she did and wrapped his hands around her throat. Elva gasped for air.

-

Murtagh had been out hunting when he saw the Urgals attack the group of outsiders. Theoretically, he could let Thorn hunt but that was boring, the only problem was he had to wander a day from home to hunt so no one could track him back to his castle.

At first he did nothing, a large dead antelope wrapped around his shoulders. He hadn't noticed the dragon until it reared up to attack. It was bright pruple, the polar opposite of the orange-red earth around it, unlike his dragon her horns and claws were a pearly iridescent white that nearly blinded him.

He saw the Urgal push the girl onto her back. She punched him in the throat.

_Ata girl, _he smirked. _that was a good shot. _

But it seemed to bounce back to her, that's when the Urgal started to strangle her. He dropped the antelope to help.

_It was a bad idea. She's a rider, probably his half brother's apprentice or a friend to Nasuada's empire._Her group was his paranoia and Thorn's prophecy come to life. And yet, he couldn't watch an Urgal strangle someone to death.

He unsheathed Zar'roc and leapt into action.

-

Death by strangulation was a swirl of colors, everything started to blur together. The red rock formations curled into the blue sky, making a purple just slightly darker than Amethyst.

Solembum and Amerthyst struggled to reach Elva, she could feel Solembum's dark, sinister spirit spiking through the area. If she was hurt, there'd be no saving any Urgal in all the world. Amethyst was in a panic, terrified of losing the person she'd waited for for more than a hundred years. In her oxygen deprived mind, she couldn't stand her dragon feeling pain so she chose to absorb it from her. Elva's death quickened, spurred forward from the panic she absorbed from Amethyst.

Darkness started to ebb on the edge of her vision, she aws dying. Had she been to hasty running from Eragon and Nasuada? Had her mentor knowingly sent her to her death?

The Urgal released in and Elva struggled to draw as much air as possible into her burning throat. Golden brown blood splashed on her, she looked up, a crimson sword peaked through the Urgals chest cavity. A tall man pulled the sword out and shoved the dead Urgal off with an air of disinterest. And swung again to kill the next two. Shocked, Elva sat up, the man moved almost too quickly to see, cutting through Urgals like a knife through warm butter.

Elva tried to get a read on him but he harshly shoved her out, his mind an impenetrable fortress. He made her mind quiet, eighteen years of a nonstop tornado of other people's emotions were silent with one harsh mental shove.

Elva closed her eyes, _Is this what it's like to be normal? _

Amethyst barreled to her, awkward on her large frame she landed almost on top of Elva, she pulled the girl onto her feet with her claws.

The tall man turned to her, a dark look in his eyes, he stalked over crimson sword in hand. Solembum who was even further away from her than the man but next to her in less than a second.

"Who are you?" His voice was deep, very rich and attractive if she was honest with herself.

"Who are _you_ ?" Elva put her hands on her hips.

He quirked an eyebrow, "Ladies first."

They stared eachother down. Purple eyes warred with stormy gray ones. It was strange not being able to sense his emotions. But she could feel Solembum's, and his were saying the man was extremely dangerous. Elva attempted to play nice.

"I'm Elva the Herbalist," She sighed and pointed to her friends. "This is Solembum the Werecat and my dragon Amethyst. Now who are you?"

_He's Murtagh Morzansson the red dragon rider _Solembum glanced at her, his orange eyes read wary.

_Galbatroix' minion? _

_No, he was a victim, forced into slavery by his true name _

"Stop it!" Murtagh's grip tightened on his sword. "Stop communicating telepathically, where I can't hear. Planning to kill me or trap me or lead the empire here?!"

Elva gave him a look that told him he was stupid, "You think I'd be wandering alone in the desert, vulnerable to Urgal attacks if I was a friend to the empire?"

He gave her the same look back, "You have a baby dragon and there are no wild dragons left." He sneered and Elva couldn't help but to think the look was kind of cute. She mentally slapped herself. "It's not a stretch to think you're Eragon's apprentice."

"Eragon cursed me!" Elva growled. "I am not his friend in any stretch of the imagination."

Murtagh blinked, "You're that baby that he cursed in Farthen Dur, Nasuada's body guard, you grew up."

"I survived, not Nasuada's guard or Eragon's apprentice, I became Angela the Herbalist's apprentice. I am not here to attack you, I just want to get to Ellesmera."

"I'll decide that," Murtagh looked down at Elva's short form. "For now, until I'm sure you won't rat me out to the empire, you will return to my home with me. My dragon's bigger than yours, don't try to escape me."

"N-" She almost argued but Solembum stopped her.

_Elva, we have to go with him. _He shifted back into a cat.

_What? With crazy unstable guy? _

_Angela's wisdom. Just go with it. _

_I'm starting to think master is crazy, _Elva sighed.

Solembum rose a cat eyebrow at her, _Starting?_


	4. Chapter 3

Her group had been travelling with Murtaugh for more than a day and they still weren't at his castle. They trudged through the dry red desert until Elva thought her feet would fall off.

Greg the horse had gotten a bad cut on one of his back legs in the scuffle and she didn't think it wise to ride him. She had stiched it shut and applied a healing paste to it after twenty minutes of chasing the difficult horse around. It had taken her another twenty to keep the horse from kicking her in the face during the procedure. All the while her traitor dragon and Solembum had stood off to the side with her unwilling savior.

When they had finally started travelling the man, Murtaugh, was already getting grumpy. He took his shirt off and wrapped it around his head to keep the sun out of his face and wrapped his dead deer around his shoulders and started off without a word to her group. That's when Elva got really serious about focusing on her surroundings.

She hated the desert. It had been interesting at first with its emptiness and pretty landscape. But the intense hear was getting really old... really fast. Listening to Solembum about her haircut had seriously been a bad idea, hair hung in her face in sweaty clumps. She probably looked horrible. She took herself aback. Why did she suddenly care how she looked?

"Why do you hunt so far away from your home?" Elva wondered aloud, she didn't think the stoic man would answer her. He ignored her almost completely but Amethyst and Solembum were another matter. His gray eyes never left them. From curiousity or mistrust she couldn't say, she was actually disliking not be able to read him as easily as everyone else. What the hell was he planning?!

"So no one can track me." He gave her a slight glance for the first time since he saved her from the Urgals. She was so used to people's stares, with her purple eyes and glowing mark on her forehead she had been the hot topic around Teirm.

"Well that sounds like a good idea in theory, except that you're taking the most powerful dragon rider to ever exist and her Werecat sidekick to your secret lair," Elva crossed her arms and gave him a look. "We'll be able to track you."

Solembum gave her a dirty look, _SIDEKICK? I'm the most powerful and you're my stupid human servant girl. You don't even GET to be my sidekick _.

"Well I could kill you with Zar'roc here," He unsheathed the red sword and twirled the hilt in his palm. "It'd be pretty easy with your tiny little dragon."

That offended Amethyst, purple smoke puffed our of her nose.

"She's only four months old," Elva sneered at him.

"My dragon was full size by then."

"That's because you were playing for team bad guy, using evil and unsafe magic on your dragon. I actually _want _Amethyst to not have health problems when she's older. "

She regretted saying it the second it left her mouth. Murtaugh instantly tensed, his grip tight on Zar'roc. Solembum ran to her side, just in case. But he turned away from her and sheathed his sword.

"_None _of it was my choice or my doing. Do you know what it's like to have your mind not your own? To have your choices and your own doing forced on you?"

"Yes, I do." She looked down at Solembum. "Everytime I'm around something intelligent enough to think or feel, they're thoughts and feelings rush into me and my own are pushed away, I either have to suck their pain inside myself or feel them suffering. I went too far before, I don't need to use my empathy on you to know that. I apologize."

"It's nothing, just forget this whole conversation." He sighed and attempted a smile at her. At least Elva thought it was a smile, it looked like some predatory smirk. How were his teeth so white living out in the wilderness for so long?

They kept walking for another few hours, hiking up a steep ridge made of loose sand and sharp rock.

_What are all these black rocks? _Elva looked to Solembum.

_Volcanic, _He answered. _A volcano erupted in the Hadarac about 4000 years ago, these are all just dry, cold lava. _

Elva nodded, _Is this were Angela got the Obsidian knives and mortar? _

_I believe so, why so interested? _

_Every rider needs a sword, I wonder if I can find a big enough chunk to make into a sword. _

Solembum eyed the area. _Don't worry, you'll get a sword somehow. _

Elva nodded, just accepting that Solembum and Angela already knew her fate and she had no choice but to just sit back, nod and wait for life to surprise her.

They made it over the ridge and Elva gasped.

The castle was gigantic, in bad shape but huge. It had humongous columns and towers and was easily large enough to fit a young dragon inside. Murtaugh's red dragon laid in front of it, basking in the sun like a ruby.

Around it was green vegetation and thick trees. This was either a desert oasis or the mountain was high enough to get more rain than the rest of area. The soil was brown thankfully, the red earth was starting to hurt her eyes.

"See girl, that's what a dragon looks like." He turned to her and smirked. Amethyst snarled at him but Solembum gave the young dragoness a warning look. It didn't take a genius to know it meant not to antagonize their kidnapper.

"What dragon? All I see is this amazing castle in front of me," Elva's eyes were wide. "This is where you've been hiding out for sixteen years?"

He snickered, "Home sweet home,"

"Let's go drop off this grumpy horse and you can show me to my guest room." Elva smiled at him. She didn't know why she was trying to make him laugh or like her. She was starting to think she was just as insane as her mentor.

* * *

Murtaugh showed them to their rooms, empty stone rooms. Apparently most of the furniture and art had been so old it hadn't survived being abandoned so long so Murtaugh had to throw it away. But the windows in Elva's room were beautiful stained glass that created rainbow patterns on the cold, gray floors. There was no bed but she had her camping equipment and they'd be comfortable enough.

"Now some rules girl," Murtaugh had a shirt on again, his chest had been burnt by the sun but unlike her his face and ears had escaped sun damage, she hoped she still had some aloe vera in her herb kit. "This isn't some friendly Varden reunion, you're a prisoner here until I figure out how to erase your memory of me."

"Or you trust me." She smiled awkwardly. There's no way that would happen.

"Let me know how that goes kid," He gave her an unfriendly smile. "If I see you outside without my permission or try to escape, Thorn will eat you or you'll taste my blade."

"That sounds perverted, that's a strange thing to say to a _kid _."

Was that amusement in his eyes? Whatever it was, it was gone before Elva could even try to feel it.

"What do I do now?" Elva asked after an awkward moment of silence.

"Leave me alone." He turned and left.

_Well that went well, _Solembum's laughter rang in her head.

_Think he likes me? _Elva laughed back.

_About as much as a broken rib kid _.

_Don't you start on that kid thing too. _. Elva blew her bangs out of her face.

* * *

It was summer so it got dark late, the high elevation and stone floors made the castle extremely cold.  
Elva lit some aromatherapeutic candles, making her cold room warm with the smell of eucalyptus and mint, two smells Angela had taught her relieve stress.

Being a reptile, Amethyst was beyond freezing. Scaled reptiles took their warmth from the sun, unable to generate heat of their own and she was still too young to make a fire to warm them. Elva bundled her up as best she could and rubbed her scales with a warming poultice until the dragon was relaxed. Solembum was fine, dozing on the window sill.

"How can that furry jerk sleep so easily in such a strange place?" Elva asked Amethyst.

_Security comes with old age? _Amethyst peaked up at Elva.

"Heard that." Solembum hissed at them making them giggle. "Get some sleep girls, we're going to have a busy day tomorrow."

He then closed his eyes again and ignored them. The two looked at eachother and shrugged. Elva got up and padded over to the candles and blew them out one by one until the room was dark and clouded with smoke.

* * *

Sleep elluded her. There were rats and other creatures in the old walls of the castle. Rats were intelligent creatures, full of complex thought and emotion. Their hunger, their terror and their coldness clogged her mind. Thousands of little thoughts. They were starving and thinking of trying to eat them, that if they all attacked at once they might be able to kill them.

The rats in Teirm had been the same but there was never such a large concentration of them near her. She wondered if they were right.

She rolled out of her blankets and dressed. She couldn't be near the little beasts any longer. So she ran outside.

It took her almost an hour to find her way outdoors, the castle was so large and complex. She broke through the large wooden doors and felt the night air. She pulled her cloak more tightly around her, it was frigid. But at least it was dark and quiet. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the solitude.

"Didn't I say you weren't allowed outside without permission?" Murtaugh's voice jolted her from her reverie. She turned toward him.

"Well sir, you have a serious rat problem,"

"I know, they're everywhere," His monotone told her he was annoyed. "Afraid of a few rodents, Empath?"

"No I mean they're plotting to eat us all." Elva nodded quickly at him. "There's at least a thousand in your walls alone."

"Well can't you use your empathy to draw them to you? That would solve my other little pest problem." He smiled, it wasn't meant to be nice.

"Ha-ha, very funny." She shook her head. "It doesn't work like that."

"How does it work then?" He actually looked genuinely interested in her for the first time since he had saved her life. He'd been so focused on the werecat and her purple dragon before, it was weird having the attention.

"I can feel people's strong emotions, mostly painful ones. When Eragon first cursed me, I was forced to absorb them into myself, that's why I had aged so quickly at first. Then he fixed it to where I can have a choice, kind of. For the most part I can resist people's pain unless it's really strong or I cause it."

"That's why you recoiled to when you punched that Urgal in the throat." He nodded. He was wearing a large, fluffy coat, she wished she had been smart enough to bring one.

"You were watching that long?!" How could he watch that long without helping? She already knew the answer, his own paranoia.

He raised an eyebrow at her and didn't answer, "Is it only bad emotions can you take or can you take people's happiness away too?"

His eyes were filled with suspicion.

"I'll admit I tried, I used to resent Eragon so much that I tried to steal his happiness once and succeeded. It felt great at first but then I felt so guilty."

"Is that why you don't work for Eragon and Nasuada anymore?" He was being oddly curious. Even an anti-social jerk like him wanted to know what was going on in the outside world.

"I really respected Nasuada, I loved how independent and strong she was," She could see her agreed. "But it wasn't good for me, I was her servant and I was forced to protect her and absorb her pain. I believed in the Varden's cause but it was taking a great toll on me, if I still worked for her I'd probably look like a shriveled old lady. So I jumped at the chance when Angela asked me to be her apprentice."

"Why are you so okay with telling me all of this?" Murtaugh's brows furrowed.

Elva grinned, "Who are you going to tell?"

"It's not wise to trust strangers."

"Especially creepy ones who kidnap me?"

He sighed, "We'll take care of the rats in the morning, go to sleep."

"I'm only going to go to sleep because I'm sleepy now," She wagged her pointer finger at him. "Not because your bossiness works on me."

"Don't test me." He frowned at her, je looked down at her, she was only five feet tall, he had to be over six feet.

She scoffed at him, "Your threats are empty, didn't you promise to make me taste your blade?"

"Pervert." There was dark amusement on his face, with a matching smirk.

Her cheeks turned red so she turned and walked back toward the castle, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Kid, you need a serious attitude adjustment." He called after her.

* * *

A/N: How did you like the chapter! Let me know in a review :] thanks to mangacrack, theredreader and ladymoonscar for reviewing last time!

Even though it's not as popular as my other stories, I really love this one! It's more romancey (now I'm making up words!) than my others, well it's going to be.

Now onto some shameless self-promotion:

Next update should be next weekend! In the meantime, I just posted a Harry Potter story if anyone is interested and I also just updated my Game of Thrones story. And of course what mega nerd doesn't have an LOTR story as well?


	5. Chapter 4

Murtagh closed his eyes and enjoyed the silence, that girl never shut up, loved the sound of her own voice or something. He scoffed and looked up at the stars. One of the things he enjoyed about being in the middle of nowhere was how bright they were, he wondered how high he and Thorn could fly up into the sky before falling.

Thorn stomped over to Muraugh, he had gotten so large every step of his shook the ground beneath, _I thought you went hunting for deer, not a girlfriend._

Murtagh gave Thorn a dirty look, "They were attacked by Urgals, I saved their lives before realizing it meant blowing my cover. She was part of the Varden way back in the day, I can't let her leave and have her telling people where I am."

_I know who she is, I remember her, the little emotion stealing girl turned Rider. Doesn't it seem weird though? That of the millions of creatures in Alagaesia that someone from your past appears? With a female dragon?_

"I guess so," Murtagh crossed him arms. "Do you think she's planned it or that this is some random stroke of fate?"

_Just from listening to her through your head I'd say fate, the girl is strange but seems honest enough._

"I still don't like it," Murtagh rubbed his hand over his face and stared off into the night. "You know her power, our minds have been manipulated before I don't want it to happen again."

_It's understandable but if fate's brought her here there might be a purpose to it,_Thorn leaned toward his rider, trying to comfort the paranoid man. _Maybe we're meant to train her._

Murtagh laughed, "She said she was going to Ellesmera to be trained by that elf woman Arya, who would want to train under us? Most of our strength was made by Galbatorix' magiic."

_Gods you're so stubburn_Thorn snarled at him.

Murtagh smiled at his dragon, "It's part of my charm I'm told."

_We've been alone for sixteen years and I sure didn't tell you that, unless you've got voices in your head you're a liar, boy._

"I'll let you figure out which by yourself," Murtagh got up and stretched. "I think I'll try to sleep for once."

Thorn gave him a toothy grin, _Good luck with that, you have worse insomnia than I do. Maybe you should dream of your little girlfriend._

Murtagh shook his head, "You're ridiculous."

-

Angela didn't look up when the bells hanging from her shop's door jingled, she already knew who it was. She continued to peel the fragile herb, it was said to stop the growth of hemeroids and one of her customers was eager to find out if it was true.

"Well Hello Eragon, it's been quite a while."

"It's good to see you again Angela," She could hear his feet shuffling nervously. "I'd hoped we could talk."

"Aren't we already talking?" She continued to work with a smile on her face.

"It's serious," He sighed. "Is there any way I could have your complete attention for a little while?"

"You can try," She looked up and pushed her tools to the side. He looked exactly the same as he did at the end of the war. The face of a young man, it was just his eyes that looked adult now. He was staring at her face too.

"Something on my face?"

"It's just good to see somebody else that doesn't age too," He gave her a boyish grin. "Time is driving me crazy."

"Wait until you're as old as I am." Angela smiled.

"And how old is that again?"

"Ahh-ahh-ahh" She shook her head at the Rider. "It's rude to ask a lady her age."

That made him laugh, he pointed at the chair across her little table, "May I sit?"

"You've grown polite over the years," She nodded. "Take a seat boy. What is it you want to talk about?"

Eragon folded his hands on the table, "I'm worried about Elva, I'm told she hasn't made it to Ellesmera to be trained yet."

"She's right where she's supposed to be," Angela nodded, her curly brown hair poofed like a halo around her head. "Don't worry about it."

"That's not an answer and I'm still going to, look I feel responsible for the kid and it's not exactly safe out there." His brown eyes looked into Angela's. He looked terrified

"And why is it not safe? Sure there's some rogue packs of Urgals out there but what has you so scared Eragon?"

"Me and Orik have been patrolling on each end of the Hadarac desert, on both ends we've found evidence of Ra'zac. I think they followed me and Saphira back from accross the sea."

"So you've dealt with Ra'zac before."

Eragon tensed, "What I'm about to tell you can't leave this room, lest the whole kingdom be in danger. This is top level stuff, only three other people in the world know of it, me, Nasuada and Orik, you cannot reveal it."

"You have my word." Angela nodded, growing interest.

"A year ago, a dragon egg was stolen from the Vault of Souls. We've had the most powerful magicians human, dwarf and elf alike use their magic to protect it and someone managed to break in and break out unnoticed. Based on the protection spells we placed on each egg we know they've managed to hatch it."

Angela leaned back in her chair with wide eyes, "Wow the world is getting interesting again. How are you handling this?"

"We have our strongest most covert spies trying to track the thief, they don't know what they're looking for so they haven't quite been successful but we do have a few leads."

"And why is this so dangerous? Is no one allowed to have a dragon unless Eragon Shadeslayer and Queen Nasuada say so?" Angela furrowed an eyebrow, it was a low blow bringing up what him and Nasuada had done to Elva and Ameythst but it had to be said.

"You know that's not true, we let commoners test to see if they're Riders all the time, if someone couldn't wait a week to take the next test and would rather steal an egg in secrecy then this person must be dangerous and dealt with before the kingdom is in danger. We believe that this Dark Rider is working with the new Ra'zac and that the Rider himself is a Shade."

Angela's eyes widened, "Now that's interesting, you worry that Elva's been captured and that this Dark Rider is doing to her what Galbatorix did to your brother?"

"Yes I do," Eragon looked down at his hands. "I couldn't save Murtagh from what happened to him and I couldn't take away the pain I caused Elva but I still want to make up for it. Not just because of guilt but because she is a nice kid."

"Well we'll all see her again someday," Angela smiled. "Take a cue from your adopted dwarf family and have a bit of faith."

Eragon ran a hand through his head awkawrdly and nodded, "Faith."

-

Muraugh woke up to loud laughter ringing through his castle, he didn't like it one bit. Without thinking, he stood and stomped down the stone hallways, navigating through the maze like halls with ease until he came to the girl's room, he banged open the door.

"The sun just rose! Keep your voice down or I swear to go-" The look on Elva's face shut him up and he looked down. He only had his underwear on, he'd been so irritated he'd forgotten to dress. "So be quiet or I'll hurt you."

He wandered off in a bad mood, he wouldn't blush, he wouldn't blush. He was too cool to blush.

He made it back to his room and rolled back into his warm blankets. He hoped what just happened was just a strange dream and he didn't embarass himself.

-

_Well he sure is perky in the morning,_Solembum laughed. _Well at least parts of his anatomy are._

Elva was still wide eyed and perfectly still, "Uh, I'm just going to pretend that never happened."

Amethyst blew smoke out of her nose in amusement, _Probably a good idea_.

"Well what were we talking about?" Elva scratched her head. "Oh yes, let's attempt flying on Amethyst today."

_Do you think you're ready?_Solembum looked to Amethyst. _Most dragons start to learn at your age but you're quite tiny for a dragon your age too._

Amethyst had a determined look in her pearly eyes, _I know I can do this, I just need to try_

Amethyst's head quirked and she went over to a wall and started to scratch it.

"And hopefully we can fly away to Ellesmera, leaving behind the headcase that lives here and get to our proper training," Elva smiled and nodded. "Now we just need breakfast."

Amethyst popped back up with a few rats in her mouth, "Way ahead of you."

Elva's nose wrinkled, "Ew."

-

Elva and her group went outside and found Thorn basking in the sun again.

_I don't believe we met,_the giant Red Dragon stood and he was almost as big as the castle. _I'm Thorn_

"I remember you from the Burning Plains," Elva looked up at him wide eyed. "But it's nice to meet you too."

Thorn nodded in greeting to Solembum before returning his large eyes to Elva.

_The Burning Plains are something I don't like to think back on_He puffed black smoke out of his nose and grinned, turning to Amethyst. _And what is your name little thing? Only about two months old and wandering around by yourself already?_

_I'm Amethyst, I'm 4 months old I'm just a late bloomer._

Thorn raised a scaly eyebrow, _Alright then, fascinating stuff. Now what are you doing outside? I believe Murtagh told you to behave!_

Elva raised the giant saddle she had in her arms to Thorn, "I'm going to try to fly with Amethyst today."

Thorn grinned, _Well this should be interesting._

It didn't take Elva long to get the Saddle on Amethyst or long to climb on her back. She had Solembum go stand next to Thorn, the werecat strutted over to the large dragon and turned back toward her.

_Ready?_Elva asked.

Amethyst nodded, _Ready!_

Amethyst stressed her wings and flapped them, catching the breeze. Elva's stomach was in her throat as they started to rise off the ground. A smile stetched on her face, she was going to fly!

_That's it,_ Thorn rumbled, directing Amethyst. _Now catch the the air above that and you'll rise even more, it'll get easier to carry your rider._

They did it, they rose even higher until even Thorn looked tiny. Elva brushed hand over Amethyt's smooth scales, being a Rider was better than she'd ever imagined.

* * *

A/N: Please review! And also let me know about typos, they're the bane of my existence, everytime I think I've found them all there's a thousand more.

Well, for a day I had the wrong chapter posted! Yikes! Thankfully no one seemed to notice...

Also, if you want to make a banner or see some that have been made (only one for this story), there's some links on my profile.


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: Please take just a minute to review, they make my day! :]

Yikes!

I originally posted this as chapter 4 _ sorry! No one said anything, hopefully I caught it before anyone read this chapter! Either way this'll make a lot more sense now!

* * *

The idiot was flying too high. She probably felt light headed being so high in the sky, another 100 feet and she'd pass out from lack of oxygen. Climbing a mere 100 feet more seemed like a lot but not when you're on dragon back. Especially when they were already at a high elevation.

_Girls, you're too high in the sky, come down now. _His dragon warned but they were either out of range or didn't care what a virtual stranger had to stay.

Murtagh squinted his gray eyes up at the sky, the desert sky was a bright baby blue, it wasn't hard to spot a bright purple and black speck in the sky.

He sighed, frustrated, he ran toward Thorn ready to help.

-

Elva was getting light headed, she thought perhaps from the thrill but then she felt Amethyst's unease. It was freezing high in the sky and she could feel the muschles in Amethyst's wings and back getting stiff from the cold. Her little dragon was light headed too.

_Thorn, how do we fly safely down without just falling? _Elva asked the great dragon but they must've been too far out of range.

A large gust of wind jerked them sideways and Amethyst pumped her wings harder to keep them afloat, making them climb even higher.

_We're trapped. _Amethyst told Elva, Elva was having trouble thinking. She was uneasy enough but Amethyst's unease was pouring into Elva, making it ten times worse.

_I can't think _Elva took her hands off of the saddle and rubbed her temple.

_Stop siphoning my fear! It's making yours worse. _

_Trust me it's not intentional today, I'm extra sensitive today. _Elva looked down, she could barely see the castle now.

They were so high it was getting hard to breathe, Elva closed her eyes, she was falling.

-

_Shit the idiot is falling from the sky _Murtagh sighed. It would fix his problem if she died. But did he want to be that person? Could he let someone so young and innocent die? _We need to save them _

Thorn stomped over, _Way ahead of you. _

Solembum had shifted into human form and was putting Thorn's saddle on. Murtagh ran over and nodded at the werecat, Solembum's orange eyes nodded in approval.

It took Murtagh a minute to climb onto Thorn, he'd really gotten huge. The second Murtagh was strapped to the saddle, Thorn darted into the sky. His wings were so large it only took a few minutes to reach the falling girls.

Amethyst was still partially conscious and struggled to hold them up. Thorn caught her with his front claws, careful not to scratch the young dragon. Elva was nearly jerked off of Amethyst from the impact but her saddle kept her from falling, Murtagh wondered what material it was made from, he wanted one.

Murtagh unstrapped himself and carefully climbed down his hovering dragon to unstrap the girl. Throwing her over his shoulder, he climbed back into his saddle with ease. She barely weighed anything, no wonder the young dragon had been able to carry her. But being able to carry a rider didn't mean she was ready to fly with a rider, the stupid girls.

He sat her in front of him and strapped them into Thorn's saddle.

_Ready? _Thorn rumbled.

Murtagh nodded, _Get us to safety Thorn. _

The slowly started to descend.

-

Elva woke up in her sleeping bag, wrapped in her pajamas. She tried to sit up but arms shoved her back into her sheets, her head spun, she was so dizzy. Her legs shook, a pins and needles feeling ran up them.

"Uh what happened?" Elva groaned.

It was Murtagh's hands forcing her back into her blankets, "You make the same mistake every new rider does, they try to fly to high. Except _you _did it without proper supervision, if you had listened to me and waited for me I could've helped you, taught you."

"Thorn was there!" She defended herself, yes it was stupid and dangerous but she wasn't about to let some stranger berrate her.

"He's a dragon, they're made for flying, they don't how a high altitude is going to effect a human body," Murtagh's long bangs were in his eyes. "You might be a rider and you might be an empath but you're still human, you almost died."

That made Elva smile, "Well at least I know I can die now, I had my doubts. So when are you going to start training me?"

"I never said I was going to train you." A grimace made it's way onto Murtagh's face.

"You said if you had been there you could've taught me," Elva looked into his eyes with complete seriousness. "So teach me and I won't do anything stupid again."

"I highly doubt that."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Elva rolled her eyes. Elva unwrapped the blankets around her so she could rewrap them and looked down. "Did you change my clothes?"

"Don't go getting all excited," Murtagh grinned. "You're pet werecat did."

Elva sighed in relief, "Thank god, I don't want some old creepy guy looking at me naked."

_Well I'm quite old, even older than Murtagh. _Elva turned to see Solembum cured up near her head.

"True enough," Elva smiled. "Where's Amethyst? Is she alright?"

"Yes, she's basking in the sun with Thorn," Elva nodded. "How are you feeling?"

"Light headed, dizzy, nauseated and I've got pins and needles," Elva grinned. "But otherwise alright."

Murtagh nodded and grabbed a pitcher of water from the stone floor and poured it into a nearby cup and handed it to her, "You've got altitude sickness, you've been asleep for a week."

"A week?" She had lost a week of her life that she'd never get back. "Why do I already feel tired then?"

"You're ill, altitude sickness if really dangerous, if you don't take it easy it could be fatal, get a fluid in your lungs or get swelling in your brain," He handed her a wrapped up loaf of bread. "Just eat a piece of bread for now and go back to sleep."

"You bake?" Elva couldn't imagine the tall man baking or wearing an apron for that matter. The thought brought a smile to her lips.

Murtagh just blinked at her and stood, "Do what I say, _rest _. Maybe you've learned your lesson this time and you won't do something so stupid again."

He left.

"What a jerk, just when I start to think he's nice he say or does something rude," Elva shook her head.

_You know, he took care of you for a week. You kept getting nosebleeds, which I guess is a symptom of altitude sickness and he'd wipe the blood from your nose for you, I think he cares he's just kind of gruff._Elva stared and Solembum in amazement, she couldn't believe Murtagh would do anything for that.

"Wow and I was sure he wanted me dead, he's always saying things like that." Elva unwrapped the loaf of bread and tried to break a chunk off but her clammy hands wouldn't stop shaking. The pins and needles were in her arms too and she couldn't get a grip on the bread.

_That man's a piece of work, let me tell you. _Solembum shook his head. He started to shift into a human, it was always something Elva found interesting to watch, it was a fast transformation but not smooth. You could see his bones breaking and reforming in different shapes underneath his skin. When he was human again, he grabbed the loaf and broke her off a piece. _Here, eat. _

Elva sighed and ate.

-

It took another week for her to recover fully, Murtagh told her that Altitude Sickness was a common problem for riders, especially new ones who had never been so high in the sky before. Galbatorix had once told him in the time of the riders they had magic healers on permanent staff to treat it, it was so common.

It was his own subtle way of making her feel better, less stupid for being so ill. In the meantime, he seemed to take her joking about him training her seriously. He brought her books that taught her the ancient language, to learn magic. She as surprised by the kindness of it, reading was one of the best ways to block out other's emotions and the thick instructive manuals were the best kind.

He also wanted her to learn to use a sword.

"Look swords are cool but implausible to fight with on dragon back! No one is close enough to slice with it and if they do get that close they'll be in range of Amethyst's claws," She looked at Solembum. "I'd rather use throwing knives like Solembum, way more efficient."

Murtagh gave Elva a look that meant sudden death, she just smiled and returned the dirty look.

Solembum started shifting more and teaching her to better throw her knives. She was starting to get good at hitting a stationary bulls-eye but she was a little terrified of hitting a living thing. Her own punch had rebounded on her so violenty, how would a knife wound effect her?

The day after she was back to full strength they decided to clear the vermin from the castle. It had been easy enough, with the combined strength of Amethyst's and Thorn's roars driving them from the castle and Elva using her empathy to making the small nocturnal creatures flee outside in utter terror.

The next day, Murtagh promised to teach her to spar. If she was going to be honest to herself, she'd have to admit to being a little terrified. The man was about a foot taller than her already but add in the fact she couldn't touch let alone hurt anybody without feeling everything they're feeling.

Tomorrow would certainly be an adventure.


	7. Chapter 6

Eragon was in her store again she realized, pacing in the front as if he had something on his mind. Angela sighed and walked through the beaded curtains that separated the two sides of the store to greet the boy. Well not a boy any longer, he was a man now.

"Ah, Eragon," She smirked. "You're back again, need something?"

"Just to talk," He sighed and sat in the same chair as last time. This is always what happened to immortals, especially men. Mortal men didn't have time to waste talking, they only had a limited time in this world. However, immortals had all the time in the world and realized they had time to speak of their feelings, Angela found it annoying.

"Well go ahead then."

"I've loved Arya since I was a new dragon rider, more than 18 years," He sighed and clenched his hands together. "I know she has feelings for me but she won't act on them, every time she sees me she practically runs away or just refuses to be alone with me."

Oh god, it was love drama. Angela stretched a fake smile on her face, poor kid, "Perhaps she just feels for you as a friend or perhaps can't be with you because of your station."

That seemed to shock Eragon, "But I'm the first dragon rider in a hundred years, I help rule all of Alagaesia, are you saying she doesn't think I'm good enough for her? Perhaps I'm not but her thinking like that seems uncharacteristic."

He didn't know her that well then, before the revolution, Arya thought very little of humans, in fact she had had to defend humanity to the pretty elf once or twice. She had to save the boy from himself, wallowing in misery for 18 years was just cruel, even she thought so.

"Well you're human and she's queen of the elves, she can't exactly be marrying a human, she needs to have Elven heirs you see."

"If she cared for me, she wouldn't care what race her children would be."

Angela leaned closer to Eragon and put her hand on his, "Take the hint."

He sighed, "I know, I think I've known for a while and been lying to myself, it's hard to get over your first love and crush," Eragon slumped over in his seat a bit. "It was simpler before I got Saphira, I thought I'd just be a hunter living in Carvahall, marry into a nice family and help take over their farm since Roran would inherit my uncle's."

"Sounds absolutely dreadful, I'd much rather ride around on a dragon and rule all of Alagaesia with one of my dearest friends," Angela smirked. "Are you feeling better? Or do you need to talk more?"

Eragon gave her a sheepish grin, "I guess I feel a little better."

"Now go out and have some fun," A wicked grin played at her lips. "Make sure nobody can call you the thirty one year old virgin any longer."

Eragon turned tomato red and left her shop, almost tripping over himself.

Angela laughed and went back to mixing her herbs.

* * *

Murtagh slammed her face into the ground once more, his heavy body squishing hers against the cold stone floor.

"Urrr, I don't like this," Elva grunted, her face smooshed on the dirty floor.

"Then fight back," Murtagh snickered, as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

"Easier said than done," She waved her arms around to scurry free but he caught her wrists and held them down. "You're a good foot taller than me and a lot heavier too! This is hardly fair!"

_ Use your empathy!_ Thorn suggested with a toothy smile on his scaley face._ Exploit the bastard's weaknesses. _

Murtagh turned to give his dragon a dirty look and Elva took her chance and rolled him over and was on top of him.

"I guess you were right," Elva sneered, sticking her tongue out at him. "I guess it was an easy match."

Murtagh growled and they rolled around on the ground, each struggled to defeat the other.

Amethyst cheered her on, _Come on Elva, show him whose boss!_

_Do you know how strong you'd be if you learned to use your curse offensively?_ Thorn was deadset on her learning to use her empathy to harm people. Sure, it would be an interesting power in theory but she wasn't sure if she could consciously use her gift to hurt people when her curse was to feel their pain. She might be in a perpetual bad mood and grouchy but that didn't mean she wanted to hurt anybody. At her core, she was just a big softy.

Murtagh slammed her onto her stomach, twisting her right arm behind her back, "Are you ready to admit defeat yet?"

"Fine, fine I give," Elva huffed, she just wanted the heavy man off of her body. She hadn't been comfortable with the close proximity.

"Nope, no mercy for quitters," He grinned at twisted her arm further.

"Ow!" She yelled, trying to twist out from under him.

"Fight back Elva, your enemies aren't going to release you when you cry mercy," Murtagh twisted further, "Fight back!"

Elva clenched her eyes shut. She couldn't snake into someone's mind and cause them pain, it would reverberate back to her. But what if they pain was already hers? She felt Murtagh grip her arm and twist. With all the mental force she could muster she attempted to force it on him.

"Dammit!" With a curse Murtagh rolled off of her and rubbed his right arm.

Elva stood up and gave him an apologetic look, "I'm sorry I hurt you."

His gray eyes stared back at her, an odd look in his eyes, "There's no reason to be sorry, you did exactly what I told you to do."

* * *

After that the lesson was over, after telling her what books to find in his library and commit to memory, he left to go hunting for dinner. He took Amethyst with him to show her how to hunt.

Elva sighed, missing her dragon already. Her and Solembum found the books and went outside to soak up the sun with Thorn.

The desert was really growing on her. The sky was always clear and cloudless, a brilliant blue that was easy on her eyes. The landscape a stark red-orange, that wasn't easy on the eyes but still quite interesting to look at.

The sun was hot, almost viciously so. But after being cooped up in the castle for weeks, she welcomed the warmth against her skin like an old friend.

Curled up like a lazy cat, Thorn squinted one eye open when they approached. He uncurled his tail slightly so Solembum and Elva could recline between his spikes.

Elva began her reading.

* * *

A/N: Somewhat of a filler chapter, let me know what you think! I'm having a bit of trouble with this story, it seems to be getting out of my hands.


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